Rare bird observed in Jerusalem

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Flying north for its annual fall return to the colder regions of the

northern hemisphere, an eyebrowed thrush took a wrong turn and found itself

in Jerusalem at 6 am on Sunday.

 

The thrush was identified at the Jerusalem Bird Observatory of the Society

for the Preservation of Nature in Israel's Urban Wildlife Site by head

ringer Shay Agmon.

 

" This is a mega-rarity, " said Amir Balaban, co-director of the observatory,

which is located near the Knesset in Givat Ram.

 

It was the second time an eyebrowed thrush (turdus obscurus) had been seen

in Israel. The first sighting was in Eilat in 1996, and Balaban doubted the

bird would be seen in Israel again in his lifetime.

 

The eyebrowed thrush is not an endangered species in its preferred cold

habitats. It is commonly found in the Indian subcontinent, East Asia,

Siberia and the taiga (coniferous forests) of the far north, but is rare in

the Middle East, Western Europe and the United States.

 

" It probably joined local song thrushes when it got lost, " said Balaban.

 

Song thrushes are common winter birds in Israel. Though similar, song

thrushes are a " duller version " of the eyebrowed thrush, which is " known for

its bluish-gray back and chest, lemon-colored lower mandible, smooth

ochre-chestnut upper chest and belly and its trademark beautiful white

eyebrow, " Balaban said.

 

Netted at the observatory's Bird Monitoring Station, the thrush was trapped,

banded, measured, weighed and promptly released. The eyebrowed thrush will

face many dangers on its journey, including " feral cats of the Middle East,

hunters and lots of uncontrolled pesticides. "

 

" We crossed our fingers and hope for its safe return, " said Balaban. " It

will have to be a very lucky bird. "

 

Aside from being a thrill for Israel's birders, 25 of whom " jumped out of

bed at the Rare Bird Alert " sent out Sunday morning, the eyebrowed thrush's

presence signals success on the part of the Society for the Preservation of

Nature.

 

" The appearance of rare birds is an important indicator of [the] quality of

an urban wildlife site, " said Balaban. " It proves that if we preserve

important bird areas in the city, they will be used by both common birds and

rare ones. "